1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns an apparatus for the transfer of rod-shaped articles, in particular cigarettes, from a longitudinal conveyor for longitudinal axial conveying of the articles onto a transverse conveyor for transverse axial conveying of the articles. The directions of transport for the longitudinal conveyor and for the transverse conveyor run transversely to each other. The apparatus includes a conveying device with receptacles for receiving several articles from the longitudinal conveyor and for discharging the received articles onto the transverse conveyor.
Furthermore, the invention concerns a method for the transfer of rod-shaped articles, in particular cigarettes, from a longitudinal conveyor for longitudinal axial conveying of the articles onto a transverse conveyor for transverse axial conveying of the articles, in which the directions of transport for the longitudinal conveyor and for the transverse conveyor run transversely to each other. The method includes receiving several rod-shaped articles from the longitudinal conveyor via a conveying device, rotating the conveying device and so moving the articles through a predetermined angle, and discharging the articles onto the transverse conveyor.
2. Discussion of Background Information
Apparatuses and methods of this kind are used in particular in the tobacco-processing industry. In a continuous cigarette rod-making machine, continuous rods of tobacco are made and usually divided into single or double-length tobacco sticks. The tobacco sticks are conveyed in their longitudinal direction and must be transferred for further processing, e.g. for attaching a filter, to a filter-attaching machine. For this purpose the tobacco sticks must usually be transferred from their longitudinal axial transport direction to a transverse axial transport direction, wherein the directions of transport also run transversely to each other.
There are numerous apparatuses and methods for transfer of the rod-shaped articles from a longitudinal conveyor onto a transverse conveyor. Known apparatuses have a conveying device which receives several articles arranged adjacent to each other on a curved track, and discharges them successively to a drum forming a track. Apparatuses and methods of this kind, however, have inadequate productivity, as the speed of transport of the conveying device and drum must be adapted to the transfer of single articles. In other words, only one article can be discharged to the transverse conveyor at a time. Furthermore, the known apparatuses and methods have only limited flexibility, as discharge can be made only to a single track.